Gervonta Davis was on the verge of finalising a huge fight against Jake Paul.
‘Tank’ had reportedly agreed a deal with the YouTuber-turned-boxer but the fight fell through after ‘Tank’ drew with Lamont Roach Jr in a defence of his WBA lightweight title.
Roach put on a career best display against the unbeaten three-weight world champion when they clashed in New York on March 1, coming extremely close to dethroning ‘Tank’ and being the first fighter to defeat the American superstar.
Davis sensationally took a knee during round nine after being hit with a jab, but referee Steve Willis made the decision not to rule this as an official knockdown, sparking outrage amongst Roach’s team and the boxing world.
In an interview with Andre Ward, Roach revealed details of the substantial sum of money that ‘Tank’ was ‘guaranteed’ to have been paid to fight Paul next, in what he claims was the ‘exit plan’ for the 30-year-old.
“They say he’s supposed to fight Jake Paul next, after he was supposed to clean me out. Jake Paul’s going to guarantee you about $40 million if the fight is with a notable person, which is Tank.
Why would he take it easy on me? Why would he sacrifice that? Especially if he’s talking about retiring, that’s his exit plan if that’s the case. Why would he do that? That just baffles me.”
A rematch between Davis and Roach is expected to take place this summer, with an announcement set to take place in the coming weeks.
Both fighters are said to have already agreed to face each other once again in what could be one of the most dramatic encounters of 2025.
